Looking at a new "hub" style portable

[fish with teeth]

Hello everyone I was hoping to get some good input from those of you that have experience with "hub" style portables. Pros, cons, different manufactures, sizes, and anything else I have forgotten.

I have been looking at the Eskimo fatfish 949i and the quickfish 3i. Is the insulated fabric really worth the extra money? Hoping to pick 1 up at the ice fishing show next weekend.

Thank you for any and all info.

[djt311]

I love my Clam bigfoot thermal, you can really tell the difference in retaining heat and condensation. I had bought a non-thermal hub at first and after 1 use returned it immediately and went for the thermal. I haven't used the Eskimo hubs but I am sure they are very similar. I like the portability and how easy they are to set up. Have done a few mods to mine for powering my lights etc.

[eyeguy 54]

Have had this one for 6 years or so. Works dandy. Not the best if really windy and no wind block. Great for 2 people. Uninsulated so it can get wet inside when pretty cols out.

[DrJuice1980]

The farm of fleet has a Shappell 6500 on sale for $199. 7.5' x 7.5'

[amateurfishing]

size will matter depending on how many you plan to have inside.....im trying to get the 3 kids involved more this year but they don't like the cold so I got my first pop up hoping it will retain enough heat to keep them warm but with plenty of space for all of us & some gear......went with clam 6 pack pop up, so far easy to put up in garage, easy to carry by self or put in sled, heard lots of good comments regarding this individual one for larger party sizes, got a great deal on it at the blaine show

[ClownColor]

Best houses out there for all-around purpose. I like my uninsulated one as it is pretty light weight. It'll drip but there are plenty of fixes for that. Eskimo fatfish had some early problems and so did clam. Most any brand should do by now. Put some white lithium grease in the hubs. Not ideal in high winds but again, they'll work. 6x6 fishes two adults comfortably but 3 is possible. Good rubber mat/carpet is good for a floor and doubles as a sled cover when hauling out gear, on a sled of course. Buy extra poles if you can. I bought 6 extra for around $2 a pole. They'll probably break over time and this will guarantee your house for many years.

Buy the cheapest one you can is my advise and put grease in the hubs.

[magnum mike]

I had the "regular" Clam command post. I love the room of the bigger house. I had several problems with it and after 3 returns, I upgraded to the thermal. YES they are worth the extra money. The are easy to heat, they don't drip in the cold weather, they are much quieter, they are much sturdier and better built. I would never have another portable that wasn't insulated.

[servocam]

This will be the 5th year on my Clam Command Post 6x12. I really like the space, even though it is usually just my son and dog with me. However, when the other kids come, it is really nice!

I have read many threads and Clam and a lot of issues 5 years ago with the fabric ripping, storage bags ripping, zippers ripping, poles breaking...but I have never had any major issues with mine.

I would like to get a thermal version and from what I read, spend the extra money right away for the thermal version.

Clam, Frabill, Eskimo (Cabelas and other stores have their own).

How many people will be fishing?

What size vehicle do you have to fit it in?

Budget?

Me and my 6x12 Command Post

[fish with teeth]

Thanks for all the info so far. I have a 3/4 ton chevy with a topper so size shouldn't be a problem. I also have a Frabill flip over style but its older, the zipper is falling apart, has some holes in it, and 1 pole is broken. Ill use that as my sled and have for backup. It is usually 2 people but I have a new pup now (5 month old 45 pound lab) so she will be with as well.

[walleye 4 me]

I have the clam bigfoot 4000 that I like. had a problem with the roof poles being a little to long so the roof would sag but their customer service took care of me and in the end I was pleased. definitely get thermal. hub houses have there time and place. if I am going to run and gun I take my flip over. if I am going to take the kids or not planning on moving alot I take the hub.

[Redlineracer12]

hub houses have there time and place. if I am going to run and gun I take my flip over. if I am going to take the kids or not planning on moving alot I take the hub.

I agree with everything stated here. They are great as a second house or as a base camp (I use one for the restroom when I'm out with the wheelhouse too). Best time for them is when you can drive out on the lake.

If you are going to be taking a sled I think the popup is a waste personally and you might as well get a nice flip house and enjoy the faster setup/teardown time. Unless you're getting a 6+ man popup since no one makes a flip house that large that I'm aware of.

[MN BassFisher]

Pros: perfect for 2 anglers and a lot of gear, lightweight, can be carried like a backpack, inexpensive but good quality.

Cons: need snow or anchors to hold it down in high winds, not great for those anglers who love to hole hop.

I have had this one for 4 years now and it's been great. Not to mention Glen's is a Northern MN company (granted they outsource their shacks to overseas but who doesn't now a days ). I recently upgrade from a car to a Jeep and now I can fit a flip-over shack so I'm sure this Hub won't see AS much use this winter but it'll still be nice to have.

[servocam]

Shelter Overview (General):

- again, general overview.

[SBRP]

I'm really on the fence for clam or eskimo...arrg! Thermal or not... I'm just getting started ice fishing and have 3 kids so the pop-up style seems to be the best choice. xl4000t too big?

[McGurk]

I'm really on the fence for clam or eskimo...arrg! Thermal or not... I'm just getting started ice fishing and have 3 kids so the pop-up style seems to be the best choice. xl4000t too big?

No, it is not too big. The 4000t is a great house for a few people. I have one and I love it. The new 5 sided and 6 sided houses are larger, but the 8'x8' 4000t hits a sweet spot IMHO.

[holmsvc]

I'm really on the fence for clam or eskimo...arrg! Thermal or not... I'm just getting started ice fishing and have 3 kids so the pop-up style seems to be the best choice. xl4000t too big?

I wouldn't go any smaller.

[Muskiemanzan13]

I like them--lot's of room. But they can most definitely be a pain when setting up in the wind. The thermal fabric is worth the extra $ if you're going to be out in single digits or lower most of the time. Otherwise the normal ones are just fine.

[pushbutton]

A lot of things to weigh out SBRP and no real easy answer. Both company's shelters have positives and negatives. As of last year..... Eskimos polls were still weak and breaking, Clams zipper tabs had an issue, Clam had some nice compartment add ones, Eskimo windows are nicer and better placement, Clam's anchors completely suck, Eskimos are very nice for stock, Clams bags are bigger, Eskimos do not have much wiggle room at all. I own both and it is a coin flip in my mind.

As far as insulated vs non.....you will have to weigh out how much time you are going to spend in the house, how warm you want it to be, and if the extra weight matters that much. Really like the non insulated early or late in the year when you are huffing it and it is not as cold out. The colder it gets though, and the more time you spend in/heating it, condensation can become an issue.

3 kids and an adult? the 4000 will be the very minimum you will need. Kids need some wiggle room, require extra stuff, and the heater itself kind of takes up a spot itself ......so adding that all up there is not a lot of space left over. Personally would look at something even larger. Good luck!

[fishwater]

I consider HUB houses to be far too unreliable. If you absolutely NEED a shelter on a given day, I wouldn't choose a HUB. I like to use them, but when traveling further than 30minutes, I'll typically always bring a spare shelter and/or additional parts. Frequently I use a trap, then pull out the larger hub when on fish.

[TruthWalleyes]

Hmm. I used my Qf3 for 3 seasons. Not a single broken component on it. I fish Way more than the average man. Have been in and survived sustained 50mph winds with my hub, and have spent many comfortable nights/weekends in my hub with terrible weather. Can set it up quick and take it down quick.

Sold that and upgraded to a clam xl4000T BigFoot.

We'll see how that holds up.

[JigginIsLife]

I have the older stayle HUB (basecamp from CLAM) and used it quite heavily for the past 4 years, but with that said I take excellent care of my stuff. They are fragile is no care is taken when putting the house down, and an auger blade will rip right through the taught fabric, but easily repairable and the parts are next to nothing to replace. They are great if you know where you are going and have a sure thing, but they do suck to hole hop. I like the fact that there is room to stand up and even walk around (with only one person) but hate the fact that the water makes the ice slippery. All in all the biggest factor that i bought mine was becuase I would hike roughly 1.5 miles into the and onto the lake to get to where i needed to be much easier carrying a 45 lb house than a 135 lb house.

[fishwater]

Old HUBs with no problems do exist, there is no denying that. My two original HUB houses still work great too. As an only fish house, or for a longer road trip, just failures waiting to happen IMO. If you've never witnessed a good HUB malfunction, you're totally missing out. Classic on-ice humor/entertainment!

We just fished out of a brand new thermal house that failed. Luckily it happened on the third morning and it wasn't too windy so we were able to stake it out fairly well. Best part about it, it wasn't mine this time!

[walleye 4 me]

a few more points to add, the clam anchors suck big time! I have an adapter for the cordless drill and that works well until the one day you forget the drill or battery is dead. Who makes a good anchor???

Also, fishing in one spot for a long time in a hub the ice gets really wet. when in my flip over if there is something i dont want to get soaking wet i just set it in the sled behind me. Found out quickly I miss that in the hub house.

[ice_medic]

I have both clam and eskimo hub style houses and they both work great. The thermal material is nice but does add some weight. I have a 767 eskimo and it is non thermal. It is a good 1-2 person shelter. There is alot of condensation on the walls all the time when the heater is going. I have found i just have to vent it out alot when i am using it. I also have bigfoot 4000 for larger groups. It is a very nice 3-4 person fish house. I think you could get more in there but then it will be way more crowded than i would want it to be. That one is thermal and there is little condensation on the walls and it does stay warmer on bitter cold windy days. I have no regrets with the hub style house at all and have had no problems with them. As for the anchors i agree with walleye. The clam anchors suck. I just normally use my eskimo ones with whatever house i am using i have had no problems putting the eskimo ones in by hand and they go in pretty easy. Have a great time and good luck fishing.

[tweeder]

I fish with mulitple kids and you will never say "is this house to big". I have the biggest fat bottom eskimo and I highly recommend it.

To me if you fish with the kids a lot you won't need insulated house cause your probably not going to be out long enough for it to really matter. if I can get a good 3hrs out of my kids I am happy, I have a decent heater going and it usually keeps them plenty warm.

I will jinx myself but I have had zero hub issues and if you have any logicial mind you can get them set up in the wind without a hassle. I actually use the wind to my advantage to help set them up. I fish big water often (leech) so I have had played in the wind plenty.

Get command post or the biggest eskimo one, its ford vs chevy, which ever you can get the best price on or if you have a color preference and get the kids out, you will love the large hub, you won't go "wrong"